The new name for Derby CVS, Community Action Derby provides support to its 850 member organisations, gives the voluntary and community sector a voice in the city of Derby, and hosts Volunteer Centre Derby, the PIRAMID Project for older people and Derby LINk, the network for health and social care.

Community Action Derby is the umbrella organisation for the city’s voluntary sector and the main provider of support for local voluntary and community groups. We are part of the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) and have over 850 member organisations.

Community Action Derby exists to create and enhance effective voluntary action aimed at improving the quality of life of people in Derby City by:

Funding Advice – our service includes access to our Funderfinder database and Derbyshire4Funding website, as well as access to an extensive library of funding publications. We can offer advice on topics such as helping develop a fundraising strategy, preparing successful funding applications and accessing sources of local funding.

Support to self help groups in areas such as getting started, gaining publicity, promoting good practice and key information sources.

Recruiting and placing volunteers: our Volunteer Centre interviews hundreds of people each year for volunteer opportunities within local organisations. We also run the vinvolved programme for the city, which supports young volunteers aged between 16 and 24.

Training and development: we offer a varied programme of training, some of which is accredited through Open College Network and aim to add to the range of courses offered year on year.

Promoting consultation and policy involvement: we represent voluntary and community organisations on the wide range of local partnerships, often through specific consultation forums serviced by CVS. We liaise with various statutory bodies such as the local authority and health agencies and influence policy development at a local, regional and national level.